Depart from origin. If you are commencing your journey from the United States, we can recommend the best airlines and routings for your particular needs. We can also introduce you to consolidators who offer discounted fares (First, Business and Economy) on these flights. This is a service provided solely as a convenience and extra value for our guests. We do not sell airline tickets to people not touring with us.

Day 1: Arrive at Cochin (most international flights arrive either in the evening or at night). Our services begin here. You are greeted at the airport by an Easy Tours Travel Facilitator and ushered to a chauffeur driven vehicle. You are then driven to your hotel where you are assisted with your check in. The next day’s plans are briefly reviewed and you are presented with your welcome package. Among other things, this package includes a beautiful handcrafted journal for your explorations, travel documents such as your air tickets and hotel vouchers, as well as copies of documents (such as our General Travel Guide) that were sent to you earlier.

Day 2: Cochin. Start your exploration of the fascinating port city of Cochin and marvel in its culture and architecture, a result of centuries of various European influences combined with rich indigenous history. The guided tour begins from the Jewish Synagogue, which was built in 1568 and is still an active house of worship for the few remaining Jews in the area. Next to the synagogue is Cochin’s ancient and colorful Jew Street with its antique stores and souvenir peddlers. There is evidence of a Jewish presence in Kochi from 70 AD. After the synagogue you visit the St. Francis Church, which was established by the Portuguese Franciscan friars in 1503. This is one of the first European churches built in India and the famed Vasco Da Gama was buried in its courtyard for a few years before his remains were returned to Portugal.
You now visit the most photogenic of Cochin’s attractions, the Chinese fishing nets. Folklore will have it that these enormous nets (or at least their design) were brought here by famed Chinese Explorer Zhang He about 600 years ago. Local fishermen manipulate these massive nets with an ease that comes from centuries of practice – it is a vocation handed down by generations. The lowering and raising of the nets has a synchronicity and rhythm that is quite an amazing experience. Some of the nets are more than a century old as the fishermen patch them up and keep going. Finish your exploration with a short guided walk through Fort Kochi and experience the unique local culture and architecture – Fort Kochi is one of India’s best cities to explore on footEvening – Your Guide or your Easy Tours Facilitator will pick you up from your hotel and accompany you to a local theatre where you get to experience Kerala’s ancient performing art, a Kathakali dance performance. Kathakali literally means the art of storytelling through dance and the dance form is an ancient forefather of many Asian dance forms.After the dance performance you are driven to an experience that is the highlight of many of our guests’ time in Kerala. You will be hosted by a famous Keralan Chef and her family at their home. A delicious dinner will follow, and cooking lessons are included. At the end of dinner you will be driven back to your hotel.

Day 3: Cochin. You are assisted with your check-out by an Easy Tours Travel Facilitator in the mid-morning and driven to the scenic backwaters, where you check into your magical lakefront resort.
You are at leisure for the rest of the day. The environmentally and socially progressive resort offers a variety of unique local activities as well as great places to walk around in. These include Keralan martial art performances, guided tours of their organic farms, and a lot more. The Keralan cuisine served here is excellent and the chefs will be happy to provide recipes and cooking tips. The architecture is uniquely traditional Keralan, with large sections of teak that were transported directly over long distances from centuries old Keralan homes. The resort has some of Kerala's best Ayurvedic practitioners and a therapeutic treatment is highly recommended. A sunset cruise on the famous backwaters of Kerala is included every evening during your stay.

Day 4: Kumarakom. You are at leisure on this day to enjoy your resort. There are various activities as mentioned above and the staff is eager to show you around. The only service provided by Easy Tours is your hotel rooms, including breakfast & taxes. Excursions into the surrounding rural region of Kumarakom can be facilitated upon request and at an extra charge. So can a longer cruise on the backwaters.

Day 5: Kumarakom –Mararikulam. You are assisted with your check-out of your resort and you are then driven to the nearby ocean front resort at Marari Beach. Check in to your resort on your own. Spread over 40 lush acres on the edge of the Indian Ocean, this resort is, arguably, the flagship of the CGH resorts. It offers all the activities and experiences that Coconut Lagoon offers, plus a lot more. The Coconut Grove that borders the beach is an ideal place to relax. Once again, some of the world's best Ayurveda practitioners are available here. You are at leisure for the rest of the day to enjoy the facilities at your resort.

Day 6: Mararikulam. You are at leisure today to enjoy the facilities at your resort. The only service provided by Easy Tours is your hotel accommodation, including breakfast and taxes. Excursions into the rural areas, including fishing villages, can be facilitated with advanced notice and a small charge.

Day 7: Mararikulam – Cochin – International Flight. Check-out from your resort by noon and join your chauffeur. You are driven to the Cochin airport where you are assisted with boarding your internal-flight.As most international flights depart in the evening, if you are boarding your international flight from Cochin, your vehicle and chauffeur are available to you until your assisted check in at the airport.If you are boarding a daytime flight to Mumbai/Delhi inorder to connect with your international departure from that city, you will have two options. When Easy Tours makes your international travel arrangements, we are usually able to include this domestic flight as part of your international travel booking, thereby saving you money and enabling you to check your baggage through to your final destination.If your international flight departure is around four hours or less (not recommended) from your scheduled arrival time at the domestic terminal at Mumbai or Delhi, you will ask the airline staff to assist you in locating the shuttle that takes you to the international terminal.If your international flight departure is five or more hours from your scheduled arrival time at the domestic terminal at Delhi or Mumbai, you are greeted at the Mumbai/Delhi airport by an Easy Tours Facilitator & your personal chauffeur – this will incur a small surcharge. Your vehicle and chauffeur will stay with you until your assisted check in at the international terminal. This is a good time to do some last minute shopping and/or sightseeing if you are so inclined.Our services end atMumbai/Delhi/ Cochin airport.

Inclusions:

* Daily breakfast at the hotels
* An Easy Tours Exclusive: Dinner & cooking lesson at a famous Keralan chef’s home
* All other meals as specified
* Kathakali Dance performance in Cochin
* Applicable monument entrance fees as per the itinerary
* All transfers and sightseeing by your personal luxury Crossover
* Availability of an Easy Tours Travel Facilitator
* Services of the best English speaking local guide at Cochin
* Bottled water during sightseeing/excursions and long drives. * All currently applicable taxes.